A device operation management method, a manager device, a program supply medium for supplying a device operation management program, an controller device, and an electronic device.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device operation management method for managing operation of each electronic device in a network connected with a plurality of electronic devices, a manager device thereof, and a program supply medium for supplying a device operation management program for realizing the device operation management method. The present invention also relates to a controller device for controlling the operation of each electronic device in the network connected with a plurality of electronic devices. Further, the present invention relates to an electronic device controlled by the controller device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it has been discussed about use of various AV (Audio Visual) devices, such as a digital television (which will be hereinafter referred to as a DTV), a set-top box (which will be also hereinafter referred to as a STB), and the like, connected with each other to construct a home network.
In this kind of network system, each device requires so-called middleware to enable linked operation of connected devices. The middleware is software positioned between an application program and an OS (Operating System) and serves to control/manage the network.
In this network system, one of the devices on the network owns a software module for controlling devices. That is, the device which owns the software module is capable of controlling those devices on the network that are compatible with the module. When there a plurality of devices in this network system, each of which can own a software module, i.e., each of which has a resource capacity capable of controlling a certain device on the network, the one software module is not shared by a plurality of devices each having a sufficient resource capacity but is owned by only one device.
Meanwhile, in the network system described above, when there are a plurality of devices which are capable of owning a software module and the devices are connected to the network, any of those devices that make access to own the software module is selected in the order in which the devices make access, and the selected device owns the software module. Otherwise, when each device make connection with the network and a device which is allowed to own a software module is selected, the device which has least devices at this time point is selected and owns the software module.
However, in this network system, there is a case that a device which does not have a resource capacity sufficient for owning a software module is selected, resulting in failure of adding the software module.
To achieve the above object, the present invention has an object of providing a device operation management method and a manager device based on the method, by which software modules can be efficiently assigned to devices having rich resource capacities and flexible response can be taken in match with situation if there is a software module which is not possessed, by indicating so. Also, the present invention has an object of providing a program medium for supplying a device operation management program which realizes the device operation management method. Further, the present invention has an object of providing a controller device which possesses a software module assigned by a manager device and enables control of each device. Also, the present invention has an object of providing an electronic device for storing the size of a software module, to be controlled by the controller device.
A device operation management method according to the present invention, which achieves the above objects, manages device operation on a network constructed by connecting thereto at least one controller device through a serial bus interface and by connecting thereto at least one controlled device to be controlled by the controller device, and comprises: a resource capacity check step of checking a system resource capacity of the controller device, by a manager device which is determined so as to mange device operation, at initial setting when the network is constructed; a software capacity check step of checking a capacity of control software for controlling the controlled device, by the manager device; and an assignment step of assigning the control software to the controller device, by the manager device, based on results of the resource capacity check step and the control software capacity check step.
In the device operation management method as described above, control software is assigned to a controller device by a manager device, based on the system resource capacity of a controller device and the capacity of the control software for controlling a device to be controlled.
As a result of this, in the device operation management according to the present invention, the manager device can efficiently assign control software, so that control software can be securely possessed by a controller device.
In addition, in the device operation management method according to the present invention, if there is a part of the control software which cannot be assigned to the controller device as a result of the calculation step of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software with each other by the manager device thereby to calculate the capacity of the control software that can be assigned to the controller device, a function of the control software is downgraded by the manager device to reduce the capacity of the control software.
In the device operation management method according to the present invention as described above, if it is determined that there is a part of control software which cannot be assigned to the controller device, as a result of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software, the function of the control software is downgraded to reduce the capacity thereof, and thus, system resources of the controller device are adjusted.
As a result of this, even if it is determined that the system resource capacity is insufficient as a result of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software, the function of the control software is downgraded to reduce the capacity thereof, and thus, the system resources which the controller device can use are adjusted. In this manner, the control software can be possessed by the controller device, and thus, control software can be possessed in common.
Further, a manager device according to the present invention, which achieves the above objects, manages device operation on a network constructed by connecting thereto at least one controller device through a serial bus interface and by also connecting thereto at least one controlled device to be controlled by the controller device, and comprises: resource capacity check means for checking with the controller device about a system resource capacity thereof; and control software capacity check means for checking a capacity of control software for controlling the controlled device; and assignment means for assigning the control software to the controller device, based on a result checked by the resource capacity check means and the control software capacity check means.
The manager device according to the present invention as described above assigns control software to a controller device, based on the system resource capacity of a controller device and the capacity of the control software for controlling a device to be controlled.
As a result of this, the manager device according to the present invention, the manager device can efficiently assign control software, based on the system resource capacity of a controller device and the capacity of the control software for controlling a controlled device, so that control software can be securely possessed by a controller device.
In addition, in the manager device according to the present invention, if there is a part of the control software which cannot be assigned to the controller device as a result of the calculation step of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software with each other by the manager device thereby to calculate the capacity of the control software that can be assigned to the controller device, a function of the control software is downgraded by the manager device to reduce the capacity of the control software.
In the manager device according to the present invention as described above, if it is determined that there is a part of control software which cannot be assigned to the controller device, as a result of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software and of calculating the capacity of control software which can be assigned to the controller device, by calculation means, the function of the control software is downgraded to reduce the capacity.
In the manager device according to the present invention as described above, if it is determined that there is a part of control software which cannot be assigned to the controller device, as a result of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software, the function of the control software is downgraded to reduce the capacity thereof, and the control software with a reduced capacity is assigned to the controller device again.
As a result of this, even if it is determined that the system resource capacity is insufficient by comparing the system resource capacity of the controller device and the capacity of the control software, the function of the control software is downgraded to reduce the capacity thereof, and thus, the system resources which the controller device can use can be adjusted, so that the control software can be possessed by the controller device.
Also, a program supply medium according to the present invention, which achieves the above objects, supplies a device operation management program for managing device operation on a network constructed by connecting thereto at least one controller device through a serial bus interface and by connecting thereto at least one controlled device to be controlled by the controller device, and comprises: resource capacity check processing for checking a system resource capacity of the controller device, by a manager device which is determined so as to mange device operation, at initial setting when the network is constructed; software capacity check processing for checking a capacity of control software for controlling the controlled device, by the manager device; and assignment processing for assigning the control software to the controller device, by the manager device, based on results of the resource capacity check processing and the control software capacity check processing.
The program supply medium described above for supplying a device operation management program, according to the present invention, supplies a device operation management program capable of assigning control software to a controller device, based on the system resource capacity of a controller device and the capacity of the in control software for controlling a device to be controlled.
As a result of this, the program supply medium for supplying a device operation management program according to the present invention can supply a device operation management program capable of assigning control software to a controller device, based on the system resource capacity of a controller device and the capacity of the control software for controlling a device to be controlled, so that the controller device thus supplied with the device operation management program is capable of efficiently assigning control software to the controller device.
Further, in the program supply medium for supplying a device operation management program, according to the present invention, if there is a part of the control software which cannot be assigned to the controller device as a result of the calculation step of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software with each other by the manager device thereby to calculate the capacity of the control software that can be assigned to the controller device, a function of the control software is downgraded by the manager device to reduce the capacity of the control software.
In the program supply medium for supplying a device operation management program, according to the present invention as described above, supplies a device operation management program capable of adjusting the system resources of the controller device by downgrading the function of the control software to reduce the capacity thereof, if it is determined that there is a part of control software which cannot be assigned to the controller device, as a result of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software and of calculating the capacity of control software which can be assigned to the controller device, by calculation means.
As a result of this, the program supply medium for supplying a device operation management program, according to the present invention, can supply a device operation management program capable of downgrading the function of the control software to reduce the capacity thereof, so that the system resources which the controller device can use can be adjusted, if it is determined that there is a part of control software which cannot be assigned to the controller device, as a result of comparing the system resource capacity and the capacity of the control software. The manager device supplied with this device operation management program adjusts the system resources which can be used by the controller device, and thus, control software can be possessed in common by controller devices.
Further, a controller device according to the present invention, which achieves the above objects, is connected to a network constructed by a serial bus interface, and controls at least one controlled device to be controlled which is also connected to the network, wherein the controller device comprises memory means for possessing controller software for controlling the controlled device, and the controller device answers a capacity of the memory means to a manager device in response to an inquiry from the manager device which manages device operation on the network, and stores control software assigned by the manager device into the memory means.
The controller device according to the present invention as described above stores control software assigned by a manager device on the basis of the capacity of memory means which is answered in response to the manager device, into the memory means, and thus controls a device to be controlled.
As a result of this, in the controller device according to the present invention, the control software to be assigned by the manager device is determined by answering information concerning the capacity of memory means in response to an inquiry from a manager device, and the device to be controlled can be set under control.
In addition, an electronic device according to the present invention, which achieves the above objects, is an electronic device to be connected to a network constructed by a serial bus interface to which at least one controller device is connected, and comprises a memory means for storing a capacity of control software possessed by the controller device, to be controlled by the controller device.
The electronic device according to the present invention as described above stores the capacity of control software in memory means, and supplies the control software for a controller device selected based on the information concerning the capacity.
As a result of this, in the electronic device according to the present invention, the capacity of the control software is stored in memory means, so that the controller device can be managed to posses the control software, based on the information concerning the capacity. Accordingly, the electronic device can be controlled by the controller device.